NCAA Bracket 2012: How Kansas State Basketball Got To March Madness

Feb 25, 2012; Manhattan, KS, USA; Kansas State Wildcats head coach Frank Martin reacts to a call in the second half of the game against the Iowa State Cyclones at Fred Bramlage Coliseum. Iowa State Cyclones won 65-61. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

The Wildcats aren't very flashy but they're a big, tough and athletic group with three victories against Top 10 teams under their belt this season.

Despite lacking the NBA talent they've had in previous seasons under Frank Martin, the Kansas State Wildcats made their fourth NCAA Tournament in the last five years in 2012.

Kansas State had non-conference wins over Alabama and Long Beach State, but they made their mark in Big 12 play. The Wildcats finished 10-8 in one of the strongest conferences of the country, beating Missouri twice and Kansas once.

They have a balanced offensive attack behind leading scorer Rodney MacGruder, a 6'4 junior who averages 15.4 points per game. Five different Kansas State players average between seven and 11 points a game.

Where the Wildcats really make their mark is on the defensive side of the ball, as Martin's teams tend to play physical and aggressive man-to-man defense. With a possible future NBA player in 6'11 250 junior center Jordan Henriquez and an athletic 6'7 combo forward in senior Jamar Samuels, Kansas State can match up with almost every team in the country and they'll be a tough out as a No. 8 seed. They'll face No. 9 seed Southern Miss in the East.

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